


To Love And Be Loved

by hoffkk



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Night Terrors, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23270962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoffkk/pseuds/hoffkk
Summary: When Malcolm is nervous that his night terrors will be worse after his recent abduction, Dani offers to stay the night and watch over him. When it goes better than expected, Dani proposes an experiment. Before Malcolm knows what hit him, she has not only crawled into his bed but also his heart. Ups and downs ensue and Malcolm begins to wonder... can he actually have a functional relationship? Does he even deserve it?  And will the night terrors ever stop?
Relationships: Dani Powell & Edrisa Tanaka, Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 17
Kudos: 115





	1. To Be Hopeful

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set after S1 E11. It's my version of the aftermath from Malcolm's abduction by the Junkyard Killer. I was inspired by the Brightwell relationship growth we've been seeing and decided to explore it myself. I hope you like what I came up with and enjoy some Brightwell feels. Comments and Kudos are encouraged if you would like to see more stories in the future! Thanks.
> 
> P.S. This is my very first Prodigal Son fic, and I went hard ( 2 months and 35 pages hard), so please be kind! As they say, go big or go home... and I definitely went big with this multi chapter feel fest! ;)

"You look terrible." Dani said matter-of-factly as she walked into the bull pen and found Malcolm sitting in a stray chair by her desk. He was wearing a wrinkled suit with an undershirt that was misbuttoned and sans tie. His hair was askew as well as he sat back against the chair rubbing his temples. Right now, Malcolm Bright was very much the epitome of a hot mess.

Sitting up straight at her words, Malcolm was surprised by both her presence and her outfit but still managed to reply, "You... don't." Raking his eyes over her polished look, he took in her trench coat, black pants suit, light blue blouse, heels, and classy up-do. It was good look, but not _her_ look... _at all_. He figured laughing wouldn't go over well, and he was too tired to do so anyway, so Malcolm settled for quirking a brow in her direction instead.

"Court." She shrugged as she removed her tortoise claw hair clip, put it in her pocket, and shook out her curls. Moving around the side of her desk, she began to take off her coat as she continued, "Did Watkins talk yet?"

"No," He sighed in annoyance. "He'll only talk to _me_ , and _Gil_ won't let me in the box until I'm well rested."

Sitting at her desk now, Dani rolled her chair a bit closer to him and noticed the dark circles around his eyes that were becoming his personal trademark these days. "Still having night terrors? They're not any worse, are they? You know, since the whole being abducted by a serial killer thing..." She asked in a voice full of concern.

"Yes, I mean no, I-- I don't actually know. I'm afraid to find out, so I've just been avoiding sleep all together." Malcolm explained.

"I get that. Your night terrors are, well, terrifying... it's understandable that you don't want them to get any worse, but Gil's right. You need to be fully energized and on your A-game before going up against Watkins again. Besides... you know you can't avoid sleep forever." Dani scolded in a no nonsense tone.

"I've already been doing it for 48 hours... so far so good." He smiled a lackluster smile.

She cocked her head and crossed her arms as she leaned back in her seat and retorted, "Really? Because you look like hell and are pouting like a five year old in the middle of the precinct."

Malcolm gave a relenting shrug and responded, "Fair point."

"Maybe you just need a change of scenery." Dani suggested. "You could try sleeping at your old house in your old room. It might give you some comfort."

"My house is a crime scene, remember?" He reminded her. "It's not exactly emitting positive vibes at the moment. Plus, being near my mother is the exact opposite of comfortable. I love her, but she is in full 'smother' mode right now. No way am I staying with her over night."

"What about your sister? You could stay with her." She tried again.

Malcolm shook his head, "Ainsley's been through enough, the last thing she needs is to see one of my night terrors, especially if they've been cranked up a few notches. No... I just need to stay at my own apartment in my own bed where I can be restrained properly."

"Well, do you at least have a friend you can call to keep an eye on you?" Dani probed further, not liking the idea of him being alone for his first post-abduction sleep.

"A friend?" He repeated. "Yeah, I don't actually have many of those, none I'm that close with anyway."

Dani sat up and queried, "Really?"

"Really." Malcolm answered honestly, "Outside my family, the only people I'm even remotely close with these days are you, JT, and Arroyo."

"Wow. That's so... sad." She finished teasingly.

Smirking at her response, he replied, "Well, when your father is an infamous serial killer, friends aren't exactly eager to knock on your door, creepy by association and all that."

"Right." Dani nodded, then after a brief pause added, "You know... I could do it."

"Knock on my door?" Malcolm asked with a furrowed brow.

"No, stupid." She retorted with a playful punch to his arm. "I could stay over."

His eyebrows rose high into his forehead and a flush crept onto his cheeks as he said, "Really?"

Noticing the spark in his eyes at her words, Dani hastily nodded, "Yeah. I could stay the night at your place and watch over you while you sleep. That way, if and when your night terrors return, I can wake you up and reassure you that everything's okay."

"I don't know..." Malcolm hesitated. "I mean, that's a very thoughtful offer, but the last time someone stayed over, I nearly stabbed them with a kitchen knife."

She just shrugged at his confession, "Eh, I've seen your night terrors before, I think I can handle it, but if you do start to get more intense, I'll just punch you in the face again. Problem solved."

Stifling a laugh, he shook his head and sighed, "Are you _sure_ about this?"

Staring into his steel blue gaze, Dani saw a mixture of fear, pain, and of course exhaustion. She wanted to make it go away, but first she needed to make _him_ understand. Leaning in close to him, she kept her gaze locked on his and spoke softly and slowly, "You don't scare me, Malcolm Bright."

Malcolm took a breath then replied, "Malcolm Bright might not, but what about Malcolm Whitly?"

It was quiet as she took a moment to ponder his question, face serious as she took in the man in front of her. Finally, after what felt like the longest minute of his life, Dani answered, "Nah, he's a big dork too."

Relief washed over Malcolm as a grin split his face to match the one on hers. Dani Powell was truly something else, and he was grateful to have her in his life. For the first time in a long time, he actually felt like he wasn't a total lost cause. He felt... _hopeful_.

**********

Malcolm was sitting on his living room couch, scanning a takeout menu for a nearby Thai restaurant when a knock sounded at the door. The knocking was loud and erratic, nearly giving him a heart a heart attack as he dropped the paper in his hands and rushed to open the door.

"What? What is it? Are you okay?" He asked quickly as he saw Dani standing in his threshold with a duffle slung over her shoulder.

"I'm fine." She told him as she cheerfully made her way into his apartment.

Feeling confused, Malcolm checked the hall, shut the door, and wondered aloud, "Then what was all that about?"

"Oh, _that_?" Dani retorted, gesturing to the door with her thumb. "That was a friend... eagerly knocking on your door."

As he took in her cheeky smile, he cracked a grin of his own, realizing that she was playing on the words he had told her earlier that day and simply replied, "So, it was."

They held each other's gaze for a few seconds before Dani turned and headed toward the living room. Watching her walk away, Malcolm noticed she was in her usual garb of jeans, tee, leather jacket, and combat boots. This was a much better look for her. This was the Dani he knew and--

"Ooh, Thai food." She commented, tossing her bag on the couch and picking the menu up from the floor.

"Yeah, I was thinking of ordering some." Malcolm answered as he made his way over to her. Stopping just behind the couch, he queried, "Are you hungry?"

"Starved." Dani responded, eyes not leaving the menu as she lowered herself to sit.

"Okay, then. You go ahead and order the food, while I go grab a quick shower." He instructed.

"Sounds good." She mumbled, still enthralled with her reading.

With an amused shake of the head, Malcolm strode down the hall to his bedroom, leaving her in peace.

About fifteen minutes later, Dani finally made her decision: ginger chicken and pineapple fried rice. Her mouth was watering just thinking about it. Ready to order, she grabbed her cell and scanned her thumb to unlock it. Dani was halfway through typing in the restaurant's number when she realized that she never asked Malcolm what he wanted to eat. Rising from the couch, she sauntered back to his bedroom door and gave it a knock before calling out, "Malcolm." When no response was given she knocked again and repeated a bit louder, "Malcolm!" Still nothing. Rolling her eyes in irritation, she pounded on the door with her fist and yelled, "What do you want to eat?!"

"Crab Rangoon." Came a sudden, much quieter voice from behind.

Startled, Dani whirled around and instinctively threw a punch. Right. In. Malcolm's. Face. Malcolm clutched his nose, bent forward, and moaned in pain. As he stood up straight again, Dani saw blood dripping over his hands and said, "Oh, my god. I'm _so_ sorry. Are you okay?"

Gently pinching his nose and tilting his head back, Malcolm replied, "You know... when I said you should slug me more often, I was _joking_."

"Ha. Ha." She laughed dryly then added, "Come here, Mr. Comedian, and let me take a look at you."

Moving toward each other, they closed the small gap, and Dani attempted to examine the afflicted area. The hall was too dim to tell the extent of the damage though, so she grabbed Malcolm by the arm and led him to the couch. He sat there for a moment while she grabbed a wet cloth from the kitchen. Coming back to sit next to him, Dani told him to move his hands and began to clean the blood from his face while checking the damage to his nose once more.

"Well, it's a little swollen," She began with her assessment. "but the bleeding has already stopped, and it doesn't appear to be crooked or displaced in any way."

"So, it's not broken," Malcolm translated. "but will probably leave a bruise."

Dani nodded, "Precisely." After a beat, she continued, "I really am sorry, Malcolm."

"It's okay, really, I shouldn't have snuck up on you." He conceded, sharing the blame. "And for the record, it looks worse than it feels." Malcolm added, wiggling his nose to prove his point. He winced only slightly. It felt pretty sore, but it wasn't unbearable. He'd live.

"You're such a dork," Dani told him as she watched him wiggle his nose and make a ridiculous face. He grinned at her comment, making her instantly grin back. Their faces were so close as they stared happily at each other that it made the moment suddenly become more intimate. Deciding to break the tension that now hung between them, Dani continued with her statement, "...and a mess." Breaking eye contact, she helped him wipe his hands clean, then noticed some of the blood had splattered on his chest. Without thinking, she reached out to wipe that off too. Unfortunately, this caused her plan to diffuse the intimacy to backfire because his chest was bare. This shouldn't have been a big deal. After all, Dani had seen his chest before when removing his wire after a police sting. However, in that moment, his shirt was still technically on... and so were his pants. At this particular time, Malcolm was still slightly damp from his shower, clad only in a fluffy white towel that sat wrapped around his waist. Needless to say, this moment was different. It was... _hot_. That thought startled Dani, not enough to throw a punch (thank god), but enough to make her meet Malcolm's eyes again and think. She had used many different words to describe Malcolm since the day they had met... nice, weird, cute, maniac, dork... but _hot_ was not one of them. Still, there was no denying it. Underneath that nerdy, suited up exterior, Malcolm Bright was capital H-O-T. This line of thought led Dani's mind to somewhere even hotter, which caused the strokes of her hand on his chest to slow with each movement. Malcolm slowly reached for her hand and tenderly covered it with his, but before he could do or say anything else, Dani's cell phone, which was left abandoned on the coffee table, pinged loudly, snapping them both back to reality.

Clearing her throat, Dani pulled her hand way and said, "I, um, should probably go order the food."

As she moved to stand, Malcolm followed suit, making sure his towel stayed secure, and then nodded over his shoulder, "And I should probably go get dressed."

Sharing one last awkward smile, they both went on their way to complete their prospective tasks. Trying not to dwell on what just happened, Dani focused her attention to her phone. The ping was an alert from her ESPN app, reminding her that the Knicks game was coming on in a few. Swiping away the notification, she dialed the Thai restaurant and placed their order. Once that was done, she sat back, placed her feet atop the coffee table, and distracted herself with some Angry Birds.

About five minutes later, Malcolm returned fully dressed in a navy long-sleeved cotton tee and gray sweat pants. His damp hair hung slightly in his face. Brushing it out of his eyes, he padded into the kitchen and grabbed a couple beers and a bottle of water from the fridge. Making his way back to the living area, he set down the glass bottles on the side table then kept walking to the other side of the room with the plastic one, using to refill the water in his parakeet's cage.

"Ugh. Stupid, bird!" Dani scolded her phone as she lost level 42 for what was probably the 42nd time. Closing the app in frustration, she took in Malcolm's presence and said, "Oh, sorry about that."

"No worries, didn't bother me," Malcolm smirked, then added, "though Sunshine may be offended."

"I'm sorry, Sunshine!" She called over to the parakeet, humoring her friend.

"You should come tell her to her face." He retorted. "You can even hold her if you like."

"I'm good." Dani replied, holding up her palm in rejection.

"C'mon, she's very friendly. I promise." Malcolm assured.

She resisted yet again, "Really, I'm good."

"Are you..." He started, giving her an intriguing look. "are you afraid?"

"No." Dani answered way too quickly. "I just don't wanna hold your bird."

"I dare you." Malcolm challenged.

"You dare me?" She echoed in surprise. "What are you? 12?"

"What are you? Chicken?" He tossed back with a smirk.

Biting her lip, Dani just shook her head at his ridiculousness. Unable to think of a good comeback or refuse a challenge, she stood and headed over toward Malcolm and Sunshine.

"Okay, what do I do?" She asked reluctantly, making Malcolm's grin widen. He then went on to introduce her to Sunshine and give basic instructions on how to approach and hold a bird. It was a little unsettling at first, but once Sunshine was perched on her hand, Dani got into it, stroking her little feathers. After a moment though, the bird stretched her wings and took flight around the room, causing a squeal to erupt out of Dani's throat and giving them both a good laugh. Eventually, Sunshine was put back in her cage and the pair found themselves back on the couch having a cold one.

"So..." Malcolm trailed off. "What do you wanna do now?"

Dani took a swig of her beer before responding, "The food won't be here for another ten minutes. You wanna watch the game? The Knicks are playing the Lakers."

"Yeah, sure, I love those players. They're excellent at shooting goals." He nodded, taking a drink of his own.

She quirked an amused brow in his direction then queried, "You have no idea what sport I'm talking about, do you?"

Called on his bluff, Malcolm blew out a breath and replied, "Not a clue."

"Basketball." Dani explained after a silent chuckle. "They're basketball teams."

"Right, sorry." He nodded then went on to add, "Clearly sports isn't my forte. In my defense though, it's usually a father-son bonding activity, and, well, the only activity my father ever made time for was murder."

Fully aware of his background as the son of notorious serial killer, she took his comment lightly and instead of dwelling on the topic, Dani simply said, "I can teach you about sports."

"Really?" Malcolm questioned in surprise.

"Sure." She smiled, grabbing the remote to the television. "We can start with basketball... where they shoot _baskets_."

After teasing him, Dani clicked on the TV and found the game, proceeding to explain the fundamentals to Malcolm.

Together, they spent the next two hours chatting, eating, and watching the basketball game. Malcolm, being the genius that he was, caught on quickly enough to the rules of the game as he managed a few bites of his food. However, it wasn't long before he shoved his meal aside due to both his inability to keep much food down and his natural curiosity. In natural Malcolm Bright fashion, he became inquisitive about how the Knicks got their name. Once Dani explained to him the historical significance behind it, he became even more intrigued and took it upon himself to Google all the names of the professional basketball teams and research their back stories. For the entire second half of the game, he hardcore nerded out as he investigated and reported his findings to Dani, who wasn’t even a little surprised by his actions. She just smiled and listened to his ranting as she watched the rest of the game.

The Knicks ended up winning with a buzzer beater, causing Dani to let out a cheer and hold up her drink in a celebratory toast to the team. 

“What happened? Did they win?” Malcolm asked finally pulling his head out of his phone. 

“Yeah, they won.” She reassured him, taking another drink of her beer. 

“Awesome.” He replied with a grin. “Go, Knickerbockers!”

“It’s just Knicks.” Dani corrected. 

“Right. Right. Knickerbockers is just so much cooler though.” Malcolm noted. Dani figured he was about the only one who thought so, but, before she could tell him this, he continued, “Hey, do the pro football and baseball teams use historical names too?” 

She watched his face renew with excitement, but, before he could do another google search, she grabbed his phone and said, “Okay, I’m officially cutting you off, Wicked-pedia. Time to call it a night.”

Laughing, a light blush lit his cheeks. When he got interested in a subject, he had to know everything about it. Sometimes he could get carried away though. Okay, he always got carried away. What could he say? He loved to learn.

Not having a clever response to shoot back, he just said, “Okay, fine. No more research.” 

It was silent for moment as neither of them knew what to say next. As the dead air hung between them, Malcolm fixed his gaze so he was not awkwardly staring at Dani, but staring at his coffee table strewn with takeout containers and beer bottles. 

“I guess I should clean this up.” He commented with a nod to the mess. Rising to his feet, he began stacking up the empty containers and gathering the flatware. 

“Here, let me help.” Dani insisted. Taking the final sip of her beer, she stood and began collecting all the other empty bottles. 

After discarding everything to the trash and recycling bins, the table was cleared, and the two began to yawn. Deciding it was time for bed, Malcolm got some pillows and blankets for the couch. He would have offered to sleep there but he kind of needed the restraints his bed provided. Dani assured him it wasn’t a big deal, that she was fine taking the couch, then proceeded to ask if he needed any help with his night time routine. Malcolm told her he had everything under control and wished her goodnight. She returned the favor then headed toward the end of the couch where she began rummaging through her duffel bag. He stalked off in the other direction, entered his room, took his meds, and snuggled into his bed, straps and all, then waited for sleep to overtake him.


	2. To Be Embarrassed

It was about two in the morning when Dani woke up to a loud _bang!_ As she sat up and recalled where she was, she heard another loud noise and went on high alert. _Malcolm!_ Her mind screamed at her. Throwing off her blankets, she sprinted to his bedroom and threw open the door. 

Somehow Malcolm got free of his restraints and was throwing things at the wall that had been near his night stand. This included books, an alarm clock, and he was mid reach for a lamp when Dani ran at him and tackled him down onto the bed. Malcolm was yelling and flailing, but she just held him tight and called out, “It’s okay, Malcolm! Wake up!” She repeated the mantra a few times then noticed a vase of chrysanthemums on the other side table that now sat just behind his head. Keeping most of her weight on Malcolm so he would stay pinned to the bed, Dani carefully but quickly snatched the vase, tossed out the yellow flowers, and splashed the leftover water in his face. 

Waking up with a startled gasp, Malcolm’s eyes went wide and his whole body was frantically shaking. 

“Shhh... it’s okay. I’ve got you.” Dani cooed as she rolled off of him and pulled him into her warm embrace. Holding him close, she tucked his head under her chin, put one arm round his back, and put her other hand on the back of his head. Dani kept repeating reassuring whispers while running her fingers soothingly through his hair. 

Malcolm was half aware of what was going on. The other half was still stuck inside his head, fighting off his subconscious. Images kept flickering through his mind of himself at ten years old. Sometimes he was alive, sometimes he was dead, but his sociopathic serial killer father was always there... haunting him... taunting him... and killing him. For a few minutes, he trembled at the images and the childlike screams that accompanied them. Wanting them to stop more than anything, he closed his eyes and focused on the thumping of Dani’s heartbeat. After a little while, the voices in his head began to fade, slowly but surely, until they were drowned out completely and sleep claimed Malcolm once more.

**********

Sunlight was streaming in through the window above the bed, painting the room in a soft morning glow when Malcolm's eyes fluttered open. The first thing he saw was a pair of golden bronze legs, bare except for the blue Knicks-themed sleep shorts they donned. Next, he felt a soft breathing movement slightly lifting his head and bringing it back down.

 _Dani. Dani is here. Dani is in my bed_. Malcolm stated the obvious to himself then began thinking back to the night before.

As the events came back to him, both fun and not so fun, he rolled over onto his back and tried to process everything. Peering over at Dani for a moment, a soft smile played on his lips. It was fun being normal and doing normal friend things for a change. The truth is, normalcy was a rarity in your life when you had the social stigma of being related to a killer and were a victim of chronic night terrors. _Oh god, the night terrors_. Malcolm thought to himself as he mentally face-palmed. He had fragments of memories flashing through his head of being tackled and coddled by Dani as she tried to soothe him like a cranky newborn. How _embarrassing_. Desperately wanting to distance himself from the scene of his humiliation, he decided to get up, make some coffee, and read his daily affirmation. At least that was the plan until Malcolm realized his left arm was trapped under Dani’s back. Slowly and delicately, he tried to tug it free without disturbing her slumber. However, he was only able to move his arm about two inches before she instinctively rotated from her back to her side. Now facing him, Dani snuggled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder, continuing on with her sleep. Malcolm couldn’t help but smirk as he curved his imprisoned arm around her and sighed contentedly. Maybe being stuck in the aftermath of his degradation wasn’t so bad after all. Either way, he clearly wasn't going anywhere. And so, he just proceeded to lie there, staring at Dani, wondering about their relationship. What were they exactly? What did he want them be? What did _she_ want them to be? Could he even _have_ a healthy romantic relationship? Ugh, it all just felt so complicated... but somehow, with her in his arms, it also felt _right_.

**********

Around nine in the morning, Dani stirred and opened her eyes. Comprehending where she was and who she was cuddling, she quickly sat up and ran a hand through her mop of curls, pushing it out of her eyes. The movement woke Malcolm easily, and he rose to a sitting position as well.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked groggily.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She said unconvincingly with a fake smile. Before he could notice her unease and begin profiling her or something, Dani added teasingly. "although the same can't be said for your alarm clock."

Following her gaze to the other side of the room, he found his clock laying in pieces of plastic and glass among a heap of leather bound books. Shaking his head, Malcolm muttered, "I told my mother that new bedroom decor was a _bad_ idea." Suddenly a horrible thought entered his mind. "I didn't hurt _you_ , did I?" He questioned seriously, raking his eyes over her to check for any cuts or bruises. Reaching a hand out toward her, Malcolm placed it on her shoulder so he could gently rotate her body in toward him for a better view.

Placing her hand on top of his, Dani squeezed and assured him, "I'm fine, Malcolm. I promise." Letting her hand linger, their gazes locked, and they shared a smile. The moment was sweet, but growing more intimate by the second, especially since they were sitting in his bed. Not wanting things to get any more awkward than they already were, Dani brought his hand down and said, "I should probably get going."

Surprised and a little confused, Malcolm watched her crawl out of bed. Feeling lonely already, he stood as well, following her into the living room. "You don't have to leave." He told her as she rifled through her bag. "I can make us some breakfast." He offered.

"I gotta hit the gym," She explained. "then take care of a few things. I call you later?" She negotiated.

Malcolm sighed and nodded, "Yeah, sure."

Dani gave him a quick smile before heading to the bathroom. After brushing her teeth and changing into a fresh tank and athletic shin length yoga pants, she bid Malcolm a quick goodbye and headed for her usual fitness center to work out her body and everything that had just happened between her and Malcolm over the past twelve hours. Something told her it would be a long morning.

**********

After a full upper body work out, Dani decided to cool down with a two mile run on the treadmill. As her legs propelled her forward on the moving track, she finally let her mind wander to last night. It had been fun learning about Sunshine and teaching Malcolm about basketball. Dani even thought it was adorable when he turned it into a history lesson. The excitement in his voice as he read his findings made her want to kiss him. Wait... she wanted to kiss Malcolm? Oh, who was she kidding. Of course she did. He was brilliant, attractive, thoughtful, funny, and an all around good guy, which was rare in Dani's dating experience. Unfortunately, he was also damaged. It pained her to see him so distraught in the midst of one of his night terrors. Watching him scream and flail wasn't easy. No matter how many times she witnessed them, his fits made Dani feel scared... not _of_ Malcolm but _for_ Malcolm. She wished she could do more for him, make the demons go away completely... but at least she was able to keep them at bay for a little while last night. That's it... maybe Malcolm wasn't in the right headspace for a romantic relationship, but that didn't mean he couldn't use a little TLC from a friend... and if it lessened his nightmares all while bringing them closer together, then it was a win-win. Malcolm was the priority though. Dani wouldn't push him into anything, she would just be there for him as best she could. Yes, the plan was already forming in her mind and by the time her run concluded, it was fully baked.

Finished with her workout, Dani was feeling renewed and exhilarated as she hit the showers and headed home. Staying only long enough to repack her bag, she headed back out to her car. Tossing her bag in the passenger seat of her Chevy, Dani sat down and cranked up the radio. With a smile, she pulled out from her spot and, for the first time in a long time, was genuinely looking forward to her day off.


	3. To Be A Friend

Malcolm, freshly showered and dressed for the day, was sitting at his kitchen counter with a mug of coffee, reading his daily affirmation. Scanning the card in front of him, he read aloud, "Today I abandon old negative habits and embrace new positive ones." Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and began to meditate. He was reflecting on the words and what they meant for him specifically when a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Malcolm's eyes flew open in response, then, out of both politeness and curiosity, he put down the card and made his way to the door. For the second day in a row, he was pleasantly surprised by what was on the other side.

"Dani, hey, come in." He smiled, stepping aside for his guest to enter. Shutting the door behind her, Malcolm added, "I'm glad you're back. You left so quickly this morning... I thought I might have scared you off for good."

"Not a chance, Bright." Dani replied, crossing her arms stubbornly to emphasize that she wasn't going anywhere. Although she did feel bad about making him worry that was even a possibility. Therefore, she decided it was best to be direct with Malcolm and went on to say, "But I am sorry about leaving like that. To be totally honest, I _was_ a little freaked out but not about your night terror... about what happened after. You know, with the falling asleep and the cuddling..."

"Yeah, _that_..." Malcolm trailed off with a nervous smile. "That was, uh...

"Unexpected." Dani finished, heat creeping into her cheeks.

"Right. Unexpected." He agreed, unable to think of a better word to describe what transpired between them.

"But not in a bad way." She rushed to add, not wanting to insult Malcolm. "It was actually kind of nice... in a weird sort of way. But, you know, we're friends, and it's probably best we don't complicate things." With that, she pressed her lips together and effectively ended her awkward, repetitive speech before she could embarrass herself further.

"It's okay." Malcolm responded with chuckle, enjoying not being the awkward one for once. "I get it. You were just helping me out. We don't have to make a big deal out of it."

"Did I?" Dani asked suddenly. "Did I help last night?"

"Yes, you did." He assured. "I mean, it was a rough start, but, after you came in, I was able to fall asleep fairly quickly and more importantly _stay_ asleep. So, thank you for that."

"You're welcome." She grinned. "I'm actually really glad to hear you say that because I have an idea to help you with your terrors. It's a little strange, but I think it might be just what you need."

"Okay, but I warn you, I have pretty much tried it all at this point." Malcolm warned. "I'm not sure you can suggest anything I haven't done."

"I want you to sleep with me." Dani blurted, not sure how else to say it.

With an anxious gulp, he retorted, "I stand corrected."

"Hear me out, it already worked somewhat last night, so why not try again?" She queried. "But the right way this time. I'll start off laying in bed next to you and stay until you fall asleep. That way, instead of being there for you after the fact, I can be there before to help you relax and soothe you into a more peaceful sleep, and, yes, I realize this is coming out really inappropriately but you know I'm speaking platonically, so wipe that stupid look off your face."

"Yes, I, uh, do know." Malcolm smirked at her, then turned more serious. "I'm just not sure about all this.

"You're a man of science, right?" Dani questioned knowingly, appealing to his psychological profiler side. When he nodded, she continued. "So, just think of it like a science experiment. The hypothesis is that if Malcolm falls asleep next to a friend, then Malcolm will sleep better."

"I don't think 'better' is a proper qualifier." He argued.

"Longer, sounder, whatever, you get my point." She tossed back playfully. "I'm just asking for one night to test this theory, to see if this hypothesis is proven true or false. And then..."

"And then what?" Malcolm probed.

Dani sighed, "And then we'll go from there. What do you say?"

He thought for a long moment then answered, "Okay, if you are sure you're up for this, then... why not?"

"I'm sure. Are _you_ sure?" Dani asked. "Because if this idea makes you uncomfortable, you can tell me."

"No, I want to do this. I really do." Malcolm reassured, staring back into her hopeful eyes, causing him to remember her soft caresses from the previous night, but before he could go too far down that rabbit hole, he added, "You know, for science."

"Right, for science." She agreed with a smirk."

"So, uh, when should we do this experiment?" He queried.

"How about tonight?" Dani offered. "I already have a bag packed and ready in my car."

"You do?" Malcolm retorted in surprise.

"I like to be prepared." She remarked with a shrug.

"All right..." He nodded. "Tonight then."

"No time like the present." Dani concurred.

"Technically speaking, we are doing the experiment in the future not the present." Malcolm corrected.

"Then what _are_ we doing presently?" She wondered aloud.

With a grin, he realized Dani planned on staying, then answered, "I might have a few ideas."

Apparently hanging out with Dani Powell was becoming a habit, a positive habit, one Malcolm was more than happy to embrace.

**********

The two friends made their way to Malcolm's favorite cafe. It was a 50's diner with black and white checkered flooring, bright blue upholstered booths, and a juke box. The walls were covered in photos and caricatures of celebrities from the era. Malcolm couldn't say much about the food, given his incessant lack of appetite, but the ambiance was fantastic. It was fun and quirky and different than what he was used to. Needless to say, his mother wouldn't be caught dead here, which only made it that much more appealing. The best part though was that the diner allowed Malcolm to pretend, just for a little bit, that he was in a different time, one where The Surgeon didn't exist. That thought made him smile almost as much as Dani's reaction to the place. She loved it, from the decorative knick knacks to the delicious waffles, it was a great place to eat. Dani would definitely be back.

After the bill was paid, Malcolm and Dani headed off to the Bronx where Dani took Malcolm to one of _her_ favorite places... the Bronx Zoo. She loved going there as a child and wanted to share that memory and the joy that came with it with Malcolm. Naturally, the first area she took him to was the World of Birds. Given his bond with Sunshine, Dani figured he'd appreciate this habitat the most, and he did. Malcolm totally geeked out, checking out all the different species and reading the plaques of information. He was like a kid on Christmas morning. From there, they hit up the Sea Bird Aviary, Aquatic Bird House, and Birds of Prey habitat. Once all the birds were properly admired and adored, they made their way across the zoo, perusing all the other animals and their bios. It was a very long, very fun day... one Malcolm didn't know he needed. He relished in it as much as possible until the late afternoon hour when the sun began to set. That's when they decided they would grab a quick bite for dinner at the Dancing Crane Cafe then head out. They opted for hotdogs and fries with a couple of sodas. Malcolm picked at his meal, while Dani demolished hers, both enjoying each other's company and conversation. You'd think they'd be sick of each other, but they weren't, not even close, which was good because they still had a little science experiment to attend to.

**********

Back at the apartment, Malcolm and Dani changed into their pajamas. He wore his usual long sleeves and pants ensemble, and she wore her same Knicks shorts and crewneck sweatshirt from the night before. Though they were dressed for bed, the pair decided they weren’t that tired yet and opted to watch a movie. Still high on their day at the zoo, they chose an animal themed film: The Lion King. Neither of them had seen the new live action remake yet, so it seemed like the perfect choice. While Malcolm cued up the movie on his sister’s Disney+ account, Dani grabbed a couple of mugs and made some chamomile tea. Coming back to the living room couch, they sat in opposite corners like they did for the basketball game, but when they decided to share the blanket that lay neatly across the top of the sofa, the two realized they would have to scoot closer. Malcolm was slightly awkward about it at first until he remembered they had already shared a bed the night before. If he could share a bed with Dani, then he could _certainly_ share a blanket. Quickly he laughed off his nerves, hit the play button, and then took a sip of tea.

Being one of his favorite childhood films, Malcolm enjoyed the movie a lot, even with his eyes getting watery during Mufasa’s death. When he looked to Dani during that scene, he noticed a tear slowly sliding down her cheek and promptly asked, “Are you crying?” Given the calm, cool bravado she always donned, her sobbing at a kid’s film was both comical and surprising. With a smirk, Dani told him to shut up then tossed a pillow up toward his head to help with the task. Malcolm easily caught it and moved it aside with a smile of his own. After that, things were pretty calm for the remainder of the movie, save for a few chuckles here and there.

About an hour into the flick, Malcolm realized that not only had it been a while since he watched a movie, but it had been forever since he watched one with a friend, and he'd really missed it. He should really do so more often. Maybe he’d invite the team for a movie night sometime… Gil, Edrisa, JT and his wife, and _obviously_ Dani. Malcolm still wasn’t sure what to make of their relationship. All he knew was that they were growing closer, and he liked it. It was great having someone to talk to and confide in, someone who wouldn’t judge him unfairly, someone he could be real with and who would be real with him. I’m mean, sure, he had his family and Gil, but it was different with Dani. She was his own age and an outside observer who could give him perspective when he needed it but also relate to his issues. Talking to her was refreshing and invigorating but kept him grounded too. Dani Powell was like a special brand of oxygen he never realized he needed. Breathing her in gave him life and hope. These thoughts made Malcolm smile and _finally_ relax as he finished watching the film. Much too soon, the tea was gone and the movie ended. There was nothing left to do but sleep. After taking care of the mugs, Malcolm and Dani headed into his room and stopped in front of the bed. Rubbing the back of his neck uncertainly, Malcolm queried, "So, how do you want to... how should we..."

"Just get in the bed, Bright." She instructed dryly with a roll of her eyes.

"Right." He nodded with a half smile, moving around the left side of his bed and taking a seat on the edge. Malcolm sat there for just a moment to buckle the restraint around his right wrist then swung his feet over the side and under the covers. Turning to look for the other restraint, he found Dani already sitting beside him in bed, waiting for him under the covers. It gave him a weird flutter in his stomach. Deciding to ignore it, he asked, "Can you hand me the other strap?"

"No." She said simply."

"No?" He queried back.

"Look, there's no way we are both gonna fit in this bed if you're completely restrained across it. You'll just have to wear the one." Dani explained.

"I don't think that's a good idea. My night terrors can be... I could..." He trailed off not wanting to finish the thought.

"I know." She interrupted, placing a hand on his forearm and staring deeply into his eyes. "It's okay, Malcolm. I _trust_ you."

Taking a deep breath, Malcolm nodded, "Okay."

"Okay?" Dani retorted in question, wanting reassurance.

"Yeah," He affirmed. "I trust you too."

They proceeded to share a small grin for a moment then finished getting settled into bed. Once the lights were off, the two laid back and stared up at the ceiling, Malcolm with one hand restrained and the other laying loose beside him on the bed and Dani with her hands folded right under her chest. After a few seconds of silence, she gently moved her right hand down to her side and slid it across the bed, placing it over his trembling one to ease the tremor she knew would be there. Threading her fingers through his, Dani whispered, "Good night, Malcolm."

Staring contentedly into the darkness, Malcolm replied in kind. "Good night, Dani."

And a good night it was. For the most part.


	4. To Be Dreaming

As the minutes ticked by and turned into hours, the two gradually fell asleep just lying there with their hands intertwined, listening to each other's soft breathing. Slowly, Dani drifted off into a dream where she was queen of the jungle, basking in the sun on Pride Rock, looking down at all of her animal friends. She turned to smile at the mandrill that stood nearby who was one of her oldest and wisest companions. The mandrill let out a couple of grunts then a loud screech as it held a baby lion in the air. The animals called back to welcome the cub to the world with their respective squawks, howls, roars, and so on. After a moment, the mandrill cradled the baby in his arms and turned, walking toward Dani. As he came a few steps closer, her eyes widened. She realized it wasn’t a baby lion after all. Instead, squirming in her animal friend’s arms, there was baby _human_ wrapped in a small lion’s pelt. Somehow, peering down into its adorable chestnut eyes, she just knew the baby was hers. As the mandrill extended its arms to hand over the baby, the little one smiled, and Dani hesitated, noticing something even more familiar about the child’s face. It reminded her of herself, sure, but also of someone else. Standing unmoving and staring at her child in bewilderment, she was trying her best to process everything when a warm hand threaded through hers and squeezed tightly. Before Dani could turn to see who it was, the hand holding hers jerked hard, pulling her out of her dream and back into reality. Now that she was startled awake, Dani understood it was all a crazy dream. She took one second to collect herself before switching focus to Malcolm lying next to her. His arm was flailing and body lightly convulsing. Moving rapidly to pin his arm down before he hurt himself, she leaned over him and used her other hand to grab the side of his face delicately.

Stroking his face, Dani raised her voice and called out in worry, "Malcolm! Malcolm! Wake up!"

**********

As Malcolm felt the softness of Dani’s fingers against his shaky ones, they began to settle along with his racing heart. He was apprehensive about leaving a hand free, but the warmth of her palm against his sure felt a hell of a lot better than his restraint ever had. It felt alleviating and encouraging, like, for once, he wasn’t going into battle alone. He just hoped that whatever battle _was_ waiting for him wouldn’t be too intense. Reminding himself that thinking of the worst scenarios wasn’t going to help anything, Malcolm focused on Dani’s thumb, which was stroking the back of his hand reassuringly. He counted the strokes, one by one, keeping his mind focused on Dani and their adventure today as the drugs worked their way through his system, making both his mind and body feel heavy until sleep inevitably overcame him.

Malcolm’s nightmare came as expected but was different than usual. It normally started in a dark room of some sort where his subconscious would show up and torment him, usually in the form of his father. This time, however, he was at the zoo. It was a bright sunny day, and Malcolm was ten years old again. He was staring at the monkey habitat, watching them play and swing from the trees. Looking around for a moment, he saw kids with their families checking out the nearby animal habitats, having a blast. It made him wonder where his own family was. Unable to find them anywhere close by, he shrugged and turned back to the monkey enclosure. The monkeys were there but something was wrong. One of them, an older and larger chimp, was screeching and chasing around its baby, until finally it grabbed it by the neck and strangled it. Malcolm screamed for it to stop, but it didn’t listen. Next, he tried screaming for help but no one came. Turning to find out why, he saw everyone was suddenly gone. Running in search of more people or maybe a zoo keeper, everything got even worse. Every animal exhibit he passed by showed more gory attacks of adults killing their young. The rhino was ramming its horn into the stomach of its calf; the lion was mauling his cub; and so on. Little Malcolm kept screaming as tears streamed down his face. Unable to find a single soul, he covered his eyes with his hands, squatted down on the pavement, and begged for it to stop. He sobbed for a long moment when a familiar voice interrupted.

“There you are, my boy.” His father called out.

“Dad?” He responded with a sniffle, peeking through his fingers to see if he was really there.

“No need to cry,” Martin told him, standing there looking like he did all those years ago with a dark beard, cashmere sweater, sport coat, and slacks, looking casual with his hands behind his back. “Your father is here.”

Dropping his hands completely, Malcolm stood and spoke urgently, “Dad, the animals…”

“Shhhh, It’s all right... " Martin trailed off, reaching an arm out toward his son. Malcolm ran over and hugged his father tightly. As he did, his father whispered, "You'll see them again soon."

Before Malcolm could ask what he meant, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. Stumbling back a step, he found a knife protruding from his abdomen. Blood dripped from the wound and down his wool sweater. Looking from the knife to his father, he felt a metallic taste build in his mouth and slumped to his knees. He tried to ask why but coughed up some blood instead.

Staring down at Malcolm in fascination, Martin quipped, "Sorry, my boy. You know too much."

Without missing a beat, Martin yanked the knife out of and went to stab him again. Malcolm was weak and in _a lot_ of pain, but he swung his arms and fought back as best he could.

**********

The adrenaline coursing through his veins caused Malcolm's eyes to fly open and a gasp to expel from his mouth. As he lie there a moment to catch his breath, Malcolm's startled gaze met Dani's concerned one.

"It's okay. _You're_ okay." She told him, continuing to caress his cheek.

Instinctively, he covered her hand with his and held it firmly in place while he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them once more, he echoed, "I'm okay."

"Yeah, you're okay." Dani smiled softly, carefully moving her hand and body away to give him some space.

Sitting up now, Malcolm ran his free hand through his hair, looked to his friend, and said, "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Bright." She told him. "That's what friends are for."

"Right." He smirked.

They sat for a minute then Dani teased, "Come on, let's get back to sleep. Some of us weren't born into money and actually have to work in the morning."

With a quiet chuckle, Malcolm just nodded and laid back down, pushing his nightmare as far from his thoughts as possible. Dani followed suit and snuggled back into her own side of the bed. Lying side by side, their inner most arms lay loosely next to each other. Dani didn't intend on reaching for him this time, but it turned out she didn't have to because Malcolm took it upon himself to close the gap and interlock their hands. The warmth of his palm radiated through hers and sent Dani right back to her dream. She had no idea what to make of it. To be honest, it kind of freaked her out. Babies weren't something she typically thought about let alone dreamed about. So... why now? Nope. Strike that. Dani decided she didn't want to know and that her subconscious could shove off.

**********

Malcolm woke up once again to the warmth and comfort of Dani Powell snuggled up against his side, leaning her head on his shoulder. Their hands were still linked together too. It made Malcolm smile. He enjoyed her closeness, probably a lot more than he should, but he just couldn't help it. It was like she fit perfectly with him... in his hands, his arms, his bed... okay, Malcolm needed to stop. This was just an experiment to help with his night terrors. That was all. This thought made him let go of Dani's hand and sit up to check the watch he left inside his night stand drawer. Since his alarm clock was still out of commission, this was the best and safest alternative for keeping track of the time for the time being. Noticing there wasn't any light streaming through the window yet, he figure it was one or two in the morning. So, when his watch indicated that it was actually five after five, he was dumbfounded. He never slept that long, not since he was very young anyway. It was truly incredible. Malcolm's look of shock quickly morphed into one of excitement as he looked down at a sleeping Dani, knowing that she was the cause, that _she_ was what was _truly_ incredible.

Feeling energized for once, Malcolm decided to make the most it. Leaving Dani to sleep for a little while longer, he undid his wrist strap and slipped quietly out of bed. For the next hour, he kept busy with some yoga, meditation, and a little bonding time with Sunshine as they chatted and read his daily affirmation together. After that, Malcolm grabbed a hot shower and got dressed for the day. As he buttoned his shirt in the mirror, the sun was peeking through the window, causing Dani to stir from her sleep just enough to pull a pillow over her head. It was only a short reprieve though because less than a minute later her phone alarm went off, signaling it was time to get ready for work.

Sitting up, Dani yawned and ran a hand through her bed head before shutting off her ringer. Noticing Malcolm standing at his dresser across the room, humming and doing his hair, she grunted, "How can someone who barely sleeps be such a morning person?"

"Good morning to you too." He responded cheekily, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Finished with his hair, he turned to share his smirk with the real Dani and said, "I'm going to go put on some breakfast. There are fresh towels in the bathroom if you want to shower."

"Thanks." Dani replied, confused about his chipper attitude, but she would need some coffee before unpacking that baggage... and a shower. Yeah, a shower was definitely next on the agenda if she wanted to tame these wild curls of hers. _Ugh, no wonder Malcolm had that cheeky grin on his face. He was probably trying not to laugh at this mop._ She thought to herself as she pushed some hair from her eyes and slid out of bed. Grabbing her duffle and heading straight for the bathroom, she refused to come back out until she was presentable.

Dressed in her green blouse, jeans, black boots, and light make up, Dani put the finishing touches on her bouncy curls then headed to the kitchen. Instead of sitting at the counter, she headed straight for the coffee maker and poured herself a cup of steamy goodness. Taking a stool at the counter, she relished the feel of the caffeine entering her system as Malcolm set a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and cinnamon toast in front of her. He then sat next to her with his own plate that just held a small portion of eggs and half a piece of buttered toast. He may have slept better but his appetite still wasn't very strong. No matter... he could still enjoy the company.

"So..." Dani trailed off, figuring out what to say. "You seem to be in a good mood. I thought after that night terror, you would be walking around like dawn of the dead."

"Yeah, that night terror was a little... disturbing." Malcolm confirmed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She offered.

"Maybe later." He answered. Noticing a look a disappointment crossing her face, he quickly added, "It's not exactly great breakfast conversation. Trust me."

Nodding her understanding, Dani went on, "Well, I'm sorry I couldn't have been more help last night."

"Are you kidding?" He said in surprise. "You did more than enough... because of you I was able to fall back asleep and get a good night's rest."

"Really?" She asked skeptically.

"Yep. I slept for five hours. Five. Hours. I feel so rejuvenated." Malcolm clarified. "I'm so ready for a murder. I mean, to solve one, not commit one." He added with a sheepish smile.

"Well, I'm glad you had a mostly good sleep then." She smiled back.

"What about you?" He queried. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mhm." Dani replied, taking a bite of toast.

When she was washing it down with some coffee, Malcolm questioned, "Any interesting dreams?"

Immediately, she choked on her drink but recovered quickly enough to sputter, "What? No. Why would you ask that?"

"Just curious." He shrugged.

It was silent for a long moment as he gave her a long analytic stare, putting his profiling skills to work to take in her body language.

"What?" She wondered aloud, getting annoyed.

"Nothing... it's just interesting how defensive you got about not dreaming. Makes me think that maybe there _was_ a dream, and you just don't want me to know about it." He told her.

Not taking the bait, Dani glanced at a watch on her wrist that wasn't really there and retorted, "Would you look at the time? I should get going." Taking her last piece of toast for the road, she went to grab her leather jacket and head out for the day.

Malcolm grinned as he watched her effortlessly evade his questioning and head for the door. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "Uh, Dani, about tonight..."

"I'll be back, Bright. No worries." She told him. "We have an experiment to continue."


	5. To Be A Villain

And she did come back, and they did continue their experiment. For the next week, they kept to the same schedule. During the day, Dani would go to work at the precinct and Malcolm would either do consulting work with the NYPD or tend to other affairs. Then, in the evenings, Dani would come over, and they would have dinner and hang out for a while before climbing into bed. Each night the pair would fall asleep holding hands until Malcolm inevitably would have a night terror, then Dani would soothe him back to sleep. All in all, it was going pretty well until day number six of the experiment when Malcolm's free hand wasn't pinned down properly during his night terror. He reached up and scratched Dani's shoulder pretty hard. Unfortunately, she chose that night to wear and tank and yoga pants to bed, so her shoulder was left unprotected and became easily marred with three mid-sized bloody scratch marks. When Malcolm awoke and saw what he did, he apologized profusely and tended to her wound with bandages and antibiotic ointment. Dani insisted she was fine, that she had gotten worse from her childhood cat, Tigger. It was no use though. Malcolm wouldn't listen to reason and was adamant that she go home and sleep where it was safer. She told him he was being ridiculous, but he didn't care. They went back and forth for a few minutes, both being equally stubborn about the situation, until, finally, Malcolm gave in and let her stay. However, when she refused to sleep on the couch and lock him in his room as a precaution, he went into the kitchen and made some coffee. If he didn't sleep, he wouldn't put her in anymore danger. That was his thinking anyway as he stayed up all night, slugging back java and talking to Sunshine. As for the next morning, it was awkward and quiet. Malcolm asked about her shoulder but other than that wasn't feeling very chatty. He offered to make her breakfast, but she declined, saying she would just grab something on the way to work. A few minutes later, Dani was in the car on her way to the precinct, hoping that after taking the day to relax and get some space, they could get past this little hiccup and move on.

Over the course of the work day, Dani sent Malcolm a few texts here and there. A couple were just to check in on him, but there were also a couple funny quotes from JT and Edrisa that she passed along. They had caught a murder case, but it wasn't anything special. It definitely didn't warrant calling in a profiler. In fact, it was pretty much all wrapped up at this point. Dani just thought hearing some of the team's witty banter would cheer him up. Unfortunately, she didn't hear from him one way or the other. This wasn't boding well for their experiment, not to mention their relationship. Maybe this _was_ more than just a hiccup. _No_ , Dani couldn't accept that. She wouldn't let Malcolm's stubbornness get in the way of their friendship or his own well-being. She just needed a plan. She needed _advice_. Looking around the bull pen, Dani scanned the room around her from her desk chair. JT was at his own desk, looking over some paperwork. Gil was on the other side of the room, talking to a subordinate officer. Her eyes bounced between them for a moment until it became clear who it was that she should talk to.

**********

Making her way through the swinging door to the morgue, Dani found Edrisa preparing to do her next autopsy.

"Hey, doc." Dani interrupted.

"Detective Powell... er... Dani, it's good to see you." Edrisa replied, confused about her presence but excited to have a visitor. "Did you have a follow up question about your victim? I thought the case was closed?"

"Oh, no, it is." Dani informed her. "I was just hoping we could chat for minute."

"Like, girl talk?" She asked enthusiastically. Not giving Dani a chance to respond, added, "I'm so in! Let's go to my office."

"Great." Dani smirked, amused with her colleague and also eager to be out of the cold room that was already giving her goose bumps through her leather jacket. Edrisa was leading the way out when Dani pointed to the stiff on the table and called out to her, "Wait... what about him?"

"Oh, he'll be fine." Edrisa dismissed with a wave of the hand. "It's not like he's going anywhere."

Dani rolled her eyes at the terrible joke as she bit back a grin and followed Edrisa's giggles to the adjacent room.

Back in her office, Edrisa stripped off her gloves and mask and discarded them in the trash then sat in her rolling chair as she queried in a sassy tone, "So, what's up, girlfriend?"

"I wanted to get your opinion on something." Dani told her.

"Medically or personally?" Edrisa probed.

"Both." Dani answered.

"Okay." Edrisa nodded. "Ask away."

Quickly and quietly, Dani removed her jacket, undid the top buttons of her blouse, and slid the fabric off her shoulder. Revealing her scratches, she inquired, "How serious would you say this wound is?"

Rising from her seat, Edrisa stepped closer to examine the marks. Placing her hands on either side, she looked over the abrasion thoroughly and replied, "It's a heck of a scratch, but still just a scratch. Nothing to worry about as long as you've been up on your vaccines." Backing up a couple steps, she sat on the edge of her desk and questioned, "How'd you get it?"

"I'll tell you, but you have to keep it between us, okay?" Dani explained as she righted her shirt.

"A secret? No problem. I am a master at keeping secrets." Edrisa noted. "My best friend in high school wet the bed in our hotel room on senior trip, and I never told a soul."

"You just told _me_." Dani retorted, crossing her arms and quirking a brow.

"Oh, well,12 years is still a pretty good run, am I right?" Edrisa asked, half-joking. Not waiting for a response, she went on, "Seriously though, you can tell me. _Please_ tell me. Gimme the goss. Spill the tea."

"All right, all right. Just stop doing that." Dani relented then took a breath and continued, "So, the thing is... I've sort of been staying over Malcolm's and helping him with his night terrors."

"Aw, that's so sweet." Edrisa cooed. "But that can also be dangerous, _which_ you already know because he's the one that scratched you. Okay, I'm caught up now. Proceed."

"Yeah, he scratched me last night," Dani confirmed. "And I told him what you told me... that I was fine, but he wouldn't listen. Instead, he refused to go back to sleep, and now he's giving me the silent treatment and being distant. He's acting like he's some sort of criminal that I should stay away from."

"Okay, I hear you. So, how can _I_ help?" Edrisa queried.

"I was hoping you could give me some advice on what to do next." Dani said.

"Wow, really? _Me_?" She tossed back in surprise. "I'm flattered, but why not ask Gil or JT? They know him a little better than I do, well, on a personal level anyway. Gimme any Malcolm Bright professional or family trivia, and I will crush you all!"

"Noted." Dani Smirked. "And while you do make a solid point, I decided I just couldn't talk to them about this. You see, JT is like a big brother, he cares but he's not the most sympathetic person. He's really only helpful--

"When he wants to be." Edrisa finished for her. "I grew up with three of those. Say no more."

"Ouch." Dani commented.

"Yeah." She retorted dryly. "And what about Gil?"

"Well, in order to help Malcolm, we've been spending a lot of time together, particularly at night, and I'm not sure Gil would approve, you know, since we work together and all."

"So, you're asking me by default?" Edrisa wondered aloud, trying not to sound offended.

"No, of course not." Dani replied. "I'm asking you because you are the closest female friend I have, _and_ I could really use some girl talk."

Edrisa's face lit up like a kid on Christmas as she squealed, "Are you saying I'm your best friend?"

"That's not quite--" Dani began but was interrupted.

"I accept! You know, we should toast to this..." Edrisa trailed off, looking around her desk for something to drink.

"Edrisa, focus." Dani told her. " _Malcolm_..."

"Right, right, sorry bestie." Edrisa responded in a more serious tone. "So, Malcolm thinks he's a criminal, that what he did to you makes him some sort of villain."

"Yeah." Dani nodded her agreement. "Pretty much."

"Well, my advice would be to remind him that he's not." Edrisa said simply.

"I tried that... in person _and_ through text. He doesn't want to hear it." Dani sighed.

"Okay... I guess if you can't _tell_ him what a great guy he is, then you are just going to have to _show_ him." Edrisa amended."

"How?" Dani wondered aloud.

"I don't know." Edrisa retorted then thought for a second and added, "Too bad his birthday's not for another 6 months, 2 weeks, and 4 days."

Dani stared at her friend quizzically, having so many questions about her statement. However, she settled on the teasing inquiry, "What? No seconds?"

"Now way, that would be _incredibly_ creepy." Edrisa replied seriously, then pushed on, "As I was saying, birthdays are great. My birthday always reminds me what a great person I am. Everyone comes together just for you with the most thoughtful presents and cards... it's my favorite day of the year. Right after Comic-Con. Of course that's technically four days--

"That's it." Dani interjected as an idea formed in her mind.

"What? We take him to Comic-Con?" Edrisa queried. "That's not anytime soon either."

"No, no Comic-Con or birthday party, but we can give him a special day where everyone comes to him to remind him how appreciated he is." Dani spoke confidently.

"A Malcolm Bright themed party? That's the best idea ever!" Edrisa squealed enthusiastically. Then, on a calmer note, she inquired, "But... how exactly do we do that?"

"I've got an idea." Dani smiled. "Edrisa, clear your schedule for tonight. We've got some work to do."

**********

Malcolm’s day was pretty boring and lonesome as he spent it holed up in his apartment, feeling full of self loathing. He truly hated himself for what he did to Dani. The marks on her shoulder were burnt into his memory, reminding him that he not only wasn’t capable of being of with someone intimately, but that he also didn’t deserve to. Those who got close to him got hurt one way or another. It was the curse of being his father’s son. No real friends or relationships were possible. Not that he could blame people for staying away. Malcolm was a hurricane you did not want to get caught up in. That’s why he was going to end the experiment with Dani tonight. Her bag was still in his bedroom. She would come back for it this evening, and he would tell her then. Malcolm knew she’d put up a fight, but he wouldn’t let her win this time. Her safety was too important. He carefully planned what to say and felt prepared for their talk when she walked through the door. However, Dani managed to throw him for a loop when she didn’t enter alone.

“Edrisa?” Malcolm queried in surprise as he held the door open for his two lady friends to come inside. “It’s good to see you, but… what are you doing here?”

“Dani said you needed some help setting up for movie night.” Edrisa told him, slightly lifting up the large box in her hands for emphasis. Malcolm noted the picture and words on the side of the box, which indicated she was carrying a popcorn machine. Still feeling confused, he repeated, “Movie night?”

“Yeah, you said you wanted to have one the other day.” Dani replied casually. “I figured why not tonight? Everybody’s looking forward to it.”

“Everybody? Who is exactly is everybody?” Malcolm questioned.

“Us three, Gil, JT and Tally… oh, and I invited Ainsley and your mom too.” Dani answered.

“You invited my _mother_?” He inquired with a smirk, finding the idea of his mother taking part in something as mundane as a movie night quite comical.

“Technically, I told Ainsley to invite her but yeah.” She nodded. “With everyone else coming, it kind of seemed rude not to.”

It was quiet for a moment as he processed this information. Edrisa took the silence as her chance to speak up again and said, “Well, _I_ for one am super excited about tonight… _and_ seeing you, Malcolm Bright. It’s been _way_ too long. People _really_ need to start killing more creatively so we can invite our favorite profiler back.”

Malcolm had to laugh at that as he responded kindly, “I miss you too.”

“Um… is there somewhere I can put this?” Edrisa inquired with a nod to the box in her arms. “It’s getting a little heavy.”

“Oh, of course, here.” Malcolm told her as he took the box himself and carried it to the kitchen, setting it atop the counter. Dani followed with the plastic bags of popcorn supplies she was holding. Edrisa, however, stayed put.

Turning around slowly in a circle, she finally took in the apartment around her, scanning the open living room and kitchen floor plan. As she did, Edrisa said animatedly, “I can’t believe I am in the apartment of _the_ Malcolm Bright. My crime blog followers are going to be _so_ jealous!” She got out her cell phone to take a few selfies and a couple candid shots then added, “Malcolm, I just love what you’ve done with the place.”

“Uh, thanks.” He called back to her as he leaned against the kitchen counter watching what he imagined a kid in a candy store looked like, enamored by all the different goodies around her.

Dani stood next to him, trying and failing to hide a chuckle as she glanced over the sparsely decorated room. It was nothing fancy, much like the rest of the apartment, but, to Edrisa, it was clearly everything.

When Edrisa noticed Sunshine in her cage in the corner of the living room, she squealed. “Oh, you have a parakeet! How precious… and fascinating.” Scampering over to Sunshine’s cage, Edrisa snapped a couple more pictures and cooed, “Hello, pretty birdie.”

While Edrisa was distracted, Dani turned to Malcolm and asked quietly, “So... are you mad? I mean, about me inviting everyone over without telling you... because I would have asked you first, but you would have just said no.”

Malcolm thought for a moment then sighed, “No, I could never be mad at you. For one, it's a thoughtful gesture, and, secondly, I’m pretty sure you have made Edrisa’s day.” He remarked, flicking his eyes to the woman in question who was taking a selfie with sunshine. “Besides, no matter what I say, I figure you’re not letting me out of this.”

“Nope.” Dani smirked.

She was about to say more, to ask about last night and where it left them, but Edrisa scurried over just then and said, “All right, people are going to be here soon, let’s get this place ready to par-tay!”

With that, the three friends got to work. Edrisa got the popcorn popping while Dani focused on the other side of the counter laying out little bowls, an array of flavored salts and powders, and some small boxes of chocolate and candy. In the meantime, Malcolm took to cleaning up the rest of the apartment, making sure it was ship shape for the gathering. Fortunately for him, his mother hired a weekly cleaning lady to come in, so it wasn't all that bad. After some light sweeping and a quick wipe down of the bathroom, it was good to go. Still having time to kill, he decided to change from his dingy gray sweater into a blue button down shirt and run a comb through his hair. After all, if he was going to be the host with the most, he had to look the part. Coming back to the kitchen area, Malcolm saw the girls had quite the concession stand set up. He was about to see if they needed any help when a knock sounded at the door. Answering it, he found Gil standing with an extra large supreme pizza. JT and Tally showed up a few minutes later with beer and flowers, respectively. Then came Ainsley with some DVD rentals. Lastly, fashionably late as always, his mother made her appearance with an expensive new bottle of vodka. Not the traditional movie night snack, but it was very Jessica Whitly. After they all got acquainted and picked out their snacks, Ainsley showed them the movie choices: A mystery thriller film, an action film, and a romantic comedy film, all of which were recently released within the past few months. Figuring they all got enough mystery, thrills, and action on a daily basis, the group unanimously voted for the romantic comedy, save for JT. He was reluctant at first, but after a little sweet talking and then threatening to make him sleep on the couch, his wife was able to persuade him. The movie ended up being a fantastic choice. It made them laugh, cry, and laugh until they cried... something the gang found refreshing and therapeutic. After the credits rolled, they all hung out and chatted for while. However, as the night worn on, the guests grew tired and left one by one until it was just Malcolm and Dani.

She was helping him clean up what was left of the snack shack when Malcolm blurted, "Thank you."

"For what?" Dani questioned.

"For tonight." He told her. "I don't know what you said or did to get the team all here, but I'm glad it worked."

"I didn't say or do anything, Malcolm." She explained. "They came because they wanted to."

"Really?" He inquired, eyes wide.

"You know, for a smart guy, you can be really dumb." Dani teased.

"Excuse me?" Malcolm retorted.

"They are your _friends_." She stated the obvious. "I know that may be a foreign concept to you, but friends are people that care about you because you care about them. Friends are the people that are there for you and trust you no matter what. For example, even though you scratched me, I still trust you and want to be there for you during your night terrors."

"Dani-" He tried but was quickly cut off.

"You're not your father, Malcolm." Dani told him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it for emphasis. "Your family sees that, the team sees that, I see that... now _you_ need to see that."

After a couple of seconds, Malcolm responded solemnly, "You're right, but when you've been treated like a pariah your whole life, that is easier said than done."

"So, let me help you." She said softly. "Let me stay over again with you tonight, and show you that you won't hurt me, that you're not the bad guy you seem to think you are."

Looking into her eyes, it felt amazing to hear Dani say all of those sweet things. Between that and the whole movie night she put together just for him, he couldn't go through with kicking her out like he had originally planned. Instead, he found himself grinning, "Okay, we can try this again, but on one condition..."


	6. To Be Her Rock

"Is that good?" Dani asked, sitting on the edge of the bed in her pajamas, yoga pants and an NYPD t-shirt, buckling the strap of Malcolm's left wrist. The deal was that they could continue the experiment, that she could keep spending the night, but he had to have both arms strapped down. Not wanting to push him, she agreed to his terms.

Wiggling both of his hands, Malcolm commented, "The right one needs to be a little tighter."

"Okay." She nodded then leaned over him to adjust the restraint. "Better?" Dani questioned as she pulled tight on the strap to make sure it was secure. Malcolm didn't respond right away. Dani realized why when she sat up to look at him. Apparently, in her efforts to reach across the bed, she had straddled Malcolm. Dani didn't think much of it in the moment, but now she felt very awkward as she stared down into his electric blue gaze. "Uh, sorry." Dani tossed out quickly, swinging her leg behind and moving back to her seat on the perimeter of the mattress.

"No, uh, no problem." He sputtered for a moment. Clearing his throat, he finished, "Thank you for the help."

Dani gave him a nod, then asked, "So, there's not a lot of room... where should I lay?"

"There is always the couch." Malcolm replied, only half joking. The other half was serious about wanting to keep her safe. In this case, distance meant safety. So, if he could talk her into taking the couch, he would.

"Not gonna happen." She retorted with a smirk, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Yeah, I figured that was a long shot." He noted. "Just make yourself comfortable however you can."

Bit her lip, Dani assessed the situation. With both hands tied down, he was spread evenly across the bed. If she was going to fit, she was going to have to lie pretty close to him. Oh, well. They seemed to wake up intertwined with each other anyway. What's the harm in starting that way? And so, slowly, moved in off the edge and laid on her side right up against Malcolm, placing one hand casually on his stomach and her head on his chest. "Is this okay?" Dani asked once she was comfortable.

"Yeah," Malcolm answered with a smile she couldn't see. "It's okay."

Closing her eyes, Dani smiled too and bid Malcolm a good night. Relaxing into his embrace, she felt warm, comforted, and cozy. Strangely enough, what she didn't feel was strange... or awkward or embarrassed. Snuggled up to Malcolm, she felt at peace, like all was right with world. Maybe Dani should have been concerned about that fact, but right now she was too happy to care.

**********

The two easily settled into a new routine with their new sleeping arrangements over the next few days. The morning after the movie night, Dani and Malcolm had agreed to extend the experiment another week due to its effectiveness. Malcolm still had night terrors, but they were getting shorter and less violent with each passing night, and if that wasn't a victory, Malcolm didn't know what was. After all, the goal _was_ for him to sleep better. He also felt a win in his relationship with Dani. Between hanging out in the evenings and having deep talks as they lie in bed at night, they had both opened up to each other a lot over the past few weeks, allowing them to grow closer and more comfortable in their friendship. It wasn't always easy for Malcolm to express himself personally with others, but Dani had a way of bringing it out of him... his fears, his hopes, his truths... and she wasn't bothered by any of it. She just listened and gave her two cents, reassuring or arguing with him, depending on the situation. It wasn't one sided though. Dani confided in him too, little by little. This how he was able to learn that she was an only child, that her mother was estranged, and that her father had passed many years ago. She didn't go into great detail on any of those particular subjects, and he didn't push her to. Malcolm knew she would tell him when she was ready. It turned out that time came sooner rather than later.

Malcolm had been brought in on a new case with the team today. A forty something year old African American man had been killed in a drive-by shooting. His six year old daughter had witnessed the whole thing from her play house in the front yard. Luckily, the small plastic home had protected her from getting hurt physically. Emotionally, though, this was undoubtedly going to take its toll on the little girl for years to come. Malcolm had been called in on the case because there were two other drive-bys this week of a similar nature. One gun was used, one victim was killed, and the same car was seen driving away from each crime scene. After analyzing the cases and making note of these similarities and more, Malcolm explained that these cases weren't drive-bys, they were assassinations made to look like gang violence. The team continued to work the case with the new profile in place, but they were having a tough time figuring out how all the victims were connected. What did a forty-two year old black man, a seventeen year old Latina, and a thirty-three year old white single mother have in common? After a lot of digging, they found that they all went to the same support group. Malcolm was going to go undercover tomorrow at the next meeting and see if he could dig up anything useful. With any luck, he just may be able to profile the attendees and find a suspect. Until then, it was time to head home for the evening.

Dani was quiet as they arrived back at his place and ate dinner. He noticed he wasn't the only one with a lack of appetite tonight. Thinking back, Malcolm recalled that she had been acting a bit off since they first arrived at the crime scene. He had tried to ask her about it then, but she waved it off. He had let it go, since they did have a case to focus on and a killer to catch, but he made sure to keep an eye on her throughout the day. Dani got agitated a few times, seemingly out of the blue, and at other times acted distant. Mostly, though, she was oddly quiet and very determined to solve the case.

After a silent meal where neither of them had eaten very much, Malcolm took care of the dishes, then they both changed for bed. Almost done with his night time routine, Malcolm returned to the kitchen to take his medications. However, he stopped abruptly, noticing Dani, clad in sweat pants and a tank, sitting thoughtfully on the couch, curled up with her arms wrapped around her legs and chin sitting atop her knees. She looked as if she was a million miles away. With a sigh, he sat down next to her and simply commented, "Hey." She ignored him as if he hadn't said anything at all, making him speak up louder and gently palm her shoulder, "Dani."

Snapping out of the trance she was caught in, her eyes met his and she dropped her feet from the couch to the floor as she replied, "Sorry, are you ready?"

"No, I'm not." He retorted. "Not until you tell me what's going on with you. You've been acting very un-Dani like all day. I'm worried about you."

"It's nothing, Malcolm, really." She answered unconvincingly.

"Dani, you have been there for me a lot since we became friends, and I'm grateful for that... but now it's time for you to let me be there for you." Malcolm told her, and, when she hesitated, he added, " _Please_?"

With a sigh of her own, she focused her gaze on Sunshine across the room, flitting around in her cage, as she responded, "The case... it hit close to home. I mentioned that my dad died years ago, but I never told you how."

Suddenly, it clicked, and Malcolm felt terrible as he questioned knowingly, "He was killed in a drive-by, wasn't he?"

Finally meeting his eyes, she answered sadly, "Yes... and I witnessed the whole thing."

"God, Dani." He wanted to slap himself for not putting it together sooner. "I am _so_ sorry."

Instead of responding to his words, she continued her current line of thought, explaining what happened that horrible day, "I was seven at the time. My dad had been teaching me how to ride my bike without the training wheels. He was at my side one minute then cheering me on the next as he let go and watched me ride away all on my own. I was so proud of myself... until I heard what I thought was a car backfiring, making me jump and fall over. I got up to tell him I was okay, and then that's when I saw him just lying there on the sidewalk, blood pooling around him. That image still haunts me."

Tenderly wrapping an arm around her back, Malcolm queried, "Did they figured out who did it?"

"A local gang. The shooting was their way of initiating their newest member." Dani explained. "They were never able to find the exact shooter though. The evidence was limited not to mention circumstantial, so eventually the case went cold."

Malcolm studied her then stated matter-of-factly, "That's why you became a cop."

"I wanted to be able to look at the case for myself." She nodded. "I also wanted to help make the streets safe, so no one would have to go through what I did. My mom didn't agree with my decision though. They day I joined the academy was the day she stopped speaking to me."

"That had to be rough." Malcolm noted in understanding. "And now this case comes up, making you relive all these bad memories... I wish you should have said something sooner."

"I know, I should have." She relented. "I just got so used to carrying this all on my own... the pain, the guilt..."

"Guilt?" He repeated. "Why would you feel guilty?"

"Because... _I_ insisted on riding my bike that day. _I_ insisted he take the training wheels off and teach me to ride for real. If we had just stayed inside then things would have been different. He would still be here. He would-- he would--" Dani wasn't able to finish as a sob worked its way up her throat, causing her to finally break down.

Malcolm immediately pulled her closer wrapping his other arm around her to hug her tightly to his chest. "Shhh... it's okay, well, actually it's not okay," He said instinctively then backtracked, noting that what happened to Dani's father was far from okay before he went on to add, "but it's also not your fault. You were a kid who wanted to spend time with your dad. There is nothing wrong with that. You can't blame yourself."

Dani heard his words but didn't reply. Now that the dam was finally broken, the emotions she had been holding back for years were flooding out, and there was no stopping them.   
Instead, Dani leaned into him and cried. After a while, he sat back, and pulled her along gently, so they were lying down on the couch in a more comfortable position where he could continue to stroke her back soothingly and whisper reassuring sweet nothings. The last thing he remembered before his eyes began to drift close was feeling her sobs shudder against him as he kissed the top of her head consolingly, wishing he could take all her pain away.


	7. To Be A Couple

Sunlight filtered through the living room window, rousing Malcolm from his sleep. Opening his eyes, he found Dani still cradled in his arms and a mixture of emotions shot through him. He felt awful about her father but grateful that she let him in and let him comfort her. If only he could do more. Breakfast... he could make Dani breakfast. A nice breakfast would surely make her feel better. After all, she had barely eaten dinner last night, so she had to be hungry.

Now that he had a plan, he carefully detangled himself from Dani who stirred for just a moment. Quickly, he picked a pillow up from the floor for her to hold onto instead. Once she was cuddling the pillow and seemed to settle, he headed off to use the bathroom.

Dani was content for a couple of minutes until she wasn't. Her body was missing the warmth and security of his, something the pillow was sorely lacking, which caused her to stir again and this time fully awaken. Sitting up, she ran and hand through her hair as she looked around for Malcolm. When he was nowhere to be seen, she instantly became concerned and called out for him. No response. Moving to her feet, she was thinking the worst. What if he was sleep walking as he fought through one of his night terrors? He could seriously hurt himself. She yelled his name again as she ran toward the hall. Checking the bedroom first, Dani found it empty and huffed in frustration then turned on her heel and smacked right into the man she had been looking for. It reminded her of the first night she stayed over, only instead of punching him, she threw her arms around him in a relieved embrace. Dani pulled back after a quick second and looked him over.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied calmly though also somewhat confused.

"Good." She nodded then punched him hard in the shoulder.

"Ow." He winced, rubbing his arm.

"Don't ever do that again." Dani scolded. "I thought you were running around mid-nightmare."

Realization dawned on him, then he looked into her eyes regretfully and said, "I'm sorry I worried you. I just wanted to use the bathroom and then surprise you with a little breakfast."

"Really?" She asked then after watching him nod, Dani smirked, "Now I feel bad for hitting you."

"It's already forgotten." Malcolm chuckled, then stepped aside and gestured for her to walk. Dani moved forward, and he followed behind, escorting her back to the living area.

When they were halfway through the room, Dani stopped and turned to face him, blurting, "Thank you... for last night. I didn't realize how much I needed to get all that off my chest, so thanks for making me open up."

"No problem." He tossed back. "I'm just glad you feel better."

"I do." She assured. "I just hope I didn't make your night terrors any worse."

"Nah, it's fine." Malcolm shrugged off. He was so concerned about Dani last night and this morning, he hadn't even thought about his dreams... or the lack there of. Momentarily stunned, he looked at her with a look of astonishment and sputtered, "I-I didn't have one. I didn't have a night terror."

"Seriously?" Dani queried. "Because, if you're messing with me, I swear to god I'll give you a matching bruise on your other shoulder."

"I slept through the whole night!" He beamed, enthusiastically grabbing Dani by the sides of her shoulders. "I didn't have a night terror!" Overwhelmed with excitement, Malcolm leaned in and crashed his lips into hers. The kiss was hard and fast. It was hard because he knew he owed this feat all to her and threw all his gratitude and appreciation into it. It was quick because once his brain realized what he was doing, Malcolm pulled away abruptly, dropping his hands as he did so. Taking a step back, his eyes were wide as he spoke, "I am _so_ sorry. I should _not_ have done that... but, you know what, I'm glad that I _did_. I spend every day and night fighting my father, random criminals, and even my own inner demons, but I'm done fighting _this_." He paused, pointing between the two of them before continuing to rant, "I realize that's not the most eloquent word choice, but I honestly don't know a better word to describe what this is between us. At first, I thought it was just an attraction, but it's clearly grown to be more since we've been spending so much time together _and_ sharing a bed, which, by the way, is one the most platonic yet intimate things I've ever done. Sure, I agreed to it for the sake of science, and it worked. Your hypothesis was proven true. You said if I fell asleep next to a friend, I would sleep better, and I did. I _am_. However, I think your theory was also false because the improvements in my sleep patterns aren't because of some random friend. They are because of _you_. Dani, _you_ are the one I like talking to. _You_ are the one I like to be around and hang out with over anyone else. _You_ are the one that understands my fears, empathizes with my worries, holds me when I need it, and yells at me when I deserve it. Most importantly, _you_ are always there to remind me that I'm not a bad person. You are always there for me, Dani... _period_. It makes me feel like the luckiest guy in the world. It also makes me want to do the same for you. I want to be your rock, your confidant, and your go to person to share with in good times and bad. I want to hold you every night and kiss you every day. I want you. I want _us_."

"And what about what _I_ want?" Dani interjected, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Wh-what _do_ you want?" He wondered aloud nervously, heart racing faster with each passing second. Did he misread things? Did she not feel the same way? Did he just ruin everything between them? He really hoped not, but the way Dani was staring him down didn't bode well.

After a long moment of silent deliberation, Dani's serious expression cracked as her lips quirked slightly upward, and she finally responded, " _This_." As she spoke, Dani reached out, grabbed him by the front of his t-shirt. After a beat, she yanked him forward for another explosive kiss. Malcolm instinctively wrapped his arms around her, settling his palms on the small of her back, pulling her impossibly closer as they passionately locked lips. Several (long) seconds later, they broke apart and grinned broadly at each other, not in any rush whatsoever to end their embrace.

"Wow." Malcolm blurted. "That was... wow."

"Yeah, it was." Dani agreed.

"So, what does this mean exactly?" Malcolm asked. "Just to be clear."

She giggled under her breath. He was so intelligent in most situations, but, when it came to romance, the boy was utterly clueless. Lucky for him, it made Dani love him all the more, which prompted her to respond, "This means I want you too, dummy."

Relief washed over him as he smiled once more and said, "I know this won't be easy. My night terrors and daddy issues may be improving, but they're far from over. Then there's my _mother_..." He added the last bit half-jokingly.

With a quick smirk, Dani slid her arms around his neck and nodded, "I know... but it's okay. I've clearly got my own family drama going on too. However, I think we've established by now that we are much better at fighting our demons when we do it _together_. Don't you agree?"

Malcolm replied warmly, "Yeah, I do."

They stared at each other endearingly for a long moment until Dani spoke up again. "So, then it's official now." She announced. "We're a couple."

His eyes grew larger at her words and he stammered, "Wait, we're a couple? Really?" When she quirked a brow in response, Malcolm's face morphed into a cheeky grin as he added, "Kidding."

Dani just shook her head and said, "Shut up and kiss me, you dork."

And he did. Malcolm kissed her long and hard. She responded eagerly, kissing him back just as deeply. This went on for a while until they found themselves cuddled back up on the couch with limbs and hearts intertwined. It's funny... a week ago, being with Dani like this seemed so complicated to Malcolm. Turns out, it actually made everything a whole lot simpler.

The couple had laid there for most of the morning, kissing, talking, and kissing some more until their rumbling stomachs got the better of them. That's when they headed over to the kitchen to finally make some breakfast. Dani put on the coffee, while Malcolm insisted on making pancakes to celebrate the occasion. He liked the idea of celebrating something... almost as much as he liked the idea of being Dani's boyfriend. Boyfriend. That word sounded so foreign to him. He was never much of a dater growing up... or zoo-goer or basketball watcher for that matter. That was the thing about Dani Powell though. She was worth going out of his comfort zone for. Why? Because, with Dani, the world seemed so much bigger and a lot less terrifying. With Dani, he felt like he could do anything. With Dani, he was able to love and be loved in return...

and it felt damn good.


End file.
